The European Commission has launched a new call for postdoctoral fellowships under the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) program for the year 2026. With a total budget of over 399 million euros, it will support approximately 1 600 researchers in their professional development. The program enables researchers to gain key international, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral experience through research stays abroad. These grants provide a significant boost to researchers’ careers andopen doors for them to world-class research institutions. Applications are being accepted until September 9, 2026.
Research in all fields
The call is open to applications from any scientific field, including research under the Euratom program.
The fellowships include:
- European Postdoctoral Fellowships, open to researchers of any nationality, aimed at carrying out a personalized project in the European Union (EU) or in countries associated with the Horizon Europe program for a period of up to 24 months.
- Global Postdoctoral Fellowships, open to nationals of the EU and countries associated with the Horizon Europe program or long-term residents who wish to work at organizations in third countries for a period of 12 to 24 months and then return to Europe for 12 months.
This program encourages researchers to gain experience outside the academic sphere by giving them the opportunity to apply for an additional six months at the end of their fellowship to complete an internship at a non-academic organization in Europe.
Eligibility requirements for researchers and organizations
MSCA postdoctoral fellowships are intended for postdoctoral researchers from around the world, regardless of nationality and career stage, with a maximum of 8 years of research experience after obtaining a PhD. Certain exceptions and specific conditions apply, for example for global postdoctoral fellowships and research under the Euratom program. Researchers must prepare an application together with their future supervisor and submit it together with their future host organization, which may be:
- a university
- a research institution or facility
- a company, small or medium-sized enterprise
- a government, public institution, or body
- a museum, hospital, or non-governmental organization
- any other organization
based in an EU Member State or in a country associated with the Horizon Europe program.
Researchers applying for global fellowships will need to obtain a commitment from an organization based in a third country, as they will conduct their research there for a period of 12 to 24 months.
ERA Fellowships
Researchers applying for a standard European fellowship at a host organization in an “enlargement country” (i.e., a country with a lower participation rate in the Horizon Europe program), which includes the Czech Republic, may apply for ERA grants.
Approximately 40 ERA fellowships will be awarded to outstanding candidates who were not selected under the MSCA call due to budget constraints.
List of countries eligible for ERA fellowships.
Useful links
What was last year’s call like? What was the minimum score required to receive funding? And how did Palacký University fare? P
Take a look back at the 2025 call in our article.
This year marks a significant milestone: the 30th anniversary of the MSCA program.
Since 1996, this program has played a key role in supporting research and innovation and has supported more than 150,000 researchers, including 23 Nobel laureates. The program is the cornerstone of European research and a model of excellence; it promotes mobility across disciplines, sectors, and countries, and attracts and develops top talent.